Gimacpay, the interoperable payment platform for the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC), processed more than 12 million transactions with a cumulative value of 601.7 billion CFA francs (approximately $1 billion) as of December 31, 2023.
According to data from the Bank of Central African States (BEAC)[pdf], this performance represents an increase of more than 50% in value compared to 2022, when the platform recorded 10 million transactions for 395 billion CFA francs.
This continued growth signals a major shift, not just in Central Africa, but across the continent, as state-backed public infrastructure moves onto territory previously dominated by private fintech startups.
Mobile Money Fuels the Surge
The BEAC data confirms the undisputed dominance of mobile money in the sub-region’s financial habits.
- E-wallets (mobile money) accounted for 73% of transactions in volume and 65% in value.
- Bank cards made up the remaining 27% of volume and 35% of value.
This massive shift illustrates the structural transformation of the financial ecosystem, where mobile technology is cementing its role as the primary vector for financial inclusion. Even in the bank card market, Gimac claims a significant 35% share, representing 964,150 of the 2.7 million payment cards in circulation in the CEMAC zone.
With 62.11% of active accounts and 63.58% of recorded transactions, Cameroon is the sub-region’s undisputed leader. Of the 40 million mobile money accounts recorded in the six CEMAC countries, Cameroon alone accounts for nearly 25 million.
Gimac’s Managing Director, Valentin Mbozo’o, stated that “this performance was made possible thanks to a PCI-DSS-certified main platform in Yaoundé and a backup infrastructure in Douala.”
The Continental Race for Public Rails
Gimacpay’s success is part of an accelerating trend across Africa: the rise of public, interoperable payment rails. In the last month alone, major economic blocs in East, Southern, and West Africa have launched their own ambitious platforms.
Earlier this month, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), a 21-member bloc, announced the launch of its Digital Retail Payments Platform. The system is kicking off with a trial between Malawi and Zambia, designed to allow businesses to settle cross-border deals directly in their local currencies.
On September 30, 2025, the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) launched its Interoperable Instant Payment System Platform (PI-SPI). Developed in-house, it connects 62 institutions — including major banks like Ecobank and mobile money operators like Orange Money — across eight countries. It allows over 100 million potential users to make instant, free, interbank transfers 24/7.
The Bank of Central African States (BEAC), however, has a head start. Its GIMACPAY system, commercially launched in 2020, has created a more mature ecosystem connecting 96 participants. As of January 2025, the platform supports outgoing remittances from the CEMAC zone to other African countries — a feature its new West African counterpart currently lacks, giving it a clear advantage in the race for true inter-African connectivity.
Despite its success, the Gimacpay network, which includes 53 banks, 13 microfinance institutions, and 11 mobile money operators, still faces hurdles. The BEAC notes ongoing delays in the full implementation of the regulatory framework on interoperability, particularly with regard to a key instruction on electronic payment systems from 2018.